Urinal holder



M. M. SMITH URINAL HOLDER July 31, 1956 Filed June 15, 1955 IN VEN TOR. MARTHA MAR/E SM/ 7'/-/ w By TTOHNE Y URINAL HOLDER Martha Marie Smith, Laramie, Wyo.

Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 515,019

Claims. (Cl. 128-295) This invention relates to urinal holders designed to be worn by bedfast male patients.

The main object of the invention is to provide a sanitary holder for a conventional type of open mouth urinal, into which the urinal receptacle may be inserted quickly and easily and from which it may be withdrawn without removing the holder from the patients body or otherwise disturbing the patient.

Another object of the invention is to produce a urinal holder which is simple in construction, free of rubber or plastic parts, which may be worn with comfort and is completely Washable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a urinal holder which is constructed so that it may be placed easily in its intended position relatively to a bedfast patient and which will remain in proper position at all times to receive fiuid voided by the patient, without contamination of the patients body or bedding.

My device is simple and practical, effective for keeping the patient dry and comfortable, and a time saver for the nurse or person caring for the patient.

These and other objects and advantages will appear from the drawings and the following specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational plan view of a urinal holder embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the holder, in the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing in elevation a conventional urinal inserted in the holder, the handle of the urinal being engaged by the anchoring strap which is shown loose in Fig. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the holder comprises two separate members, one being a flat under sheet and the other the upper apron member indicated as a whole at 11, into which the urinal 12 is removably inserted.

The under sheet 10 is made of soft washable fabric, of any shape and size sufficient to underlie the patient from at least the waistline to the knees, but preferably smaller than a full sized bed sheet for convenience in handling and laundering. The edges may be hemmed or finished in any suitable manner.

The upper apron member 11 comprises two layers, 13 and 14, of washable fabric, identical in shape. The layers 13 and 14 may be made of one piece of material by folding it on the lower straight edge 15 and cutting along the diagonal side edges 16, straight side edge portions 17 and straight upper edges 18. The edges 16 and 17 of both layers are inturned and stitched at 19 to form finished edges. The upper edges 18 of the fabric layers are similarly inturned and stitched at 20 from the side edges 17 to a central pocket panel indicated as a whole at 21. The central pocket 21 is formed by two lines of stitching 22. The upper edges of the two layers 13, 14, forming the pocket 21 are separately inturned and stitched at 23 to form hem pockets for the reception of two lengths of elastic 24, the ends of which aired States Patent are secured at 25. Thus the mouth of the pocket 21 is open but constricted somewhat by the elastic 24 in the hemmed edges of the pocket 21.

A pair of leg straps 26, also made of washable fabric, are stitched or otherwise fastened at '27 to the sides of the holder 11 near the lower edge 15. Preferably the leg straps are free at their ends 28 so that they can be passed under the thighs of the reclining patient and be attached to the sides of the holder near the upper edge 18 by safety pins "29 or other suitable fastening means. An anchoring strap 30 is attached at one of its ends to the holder body near its upper edge 18, the other end 31 of the strap being free, for a purpose to be described.

The urinal indicated as a whole at 12 is conventional in form, made of stainless steel or other suitable material, generally bottle shaped with a flat side 32 which constitutes the base when in the holder member 11. A handle 33 is mounted on the side opposite the flattened portion 32.

To use the urinal holder of my invention, the lower sheet member 10 is placed on the bed to underlie the patient from about the waistline to the knees, and the upper holder member 12 is arranged on the patients reclining body, across the thighs, with the upper edge 18 coinciding with the upper thighs and groin. Then the free ends 28 of the leg straps 26 are passed under the thighs and upwardly to the holder 11 where the side edges 17 join the top edge 18, and the ends 28 are fastened to the holder 11 by the safety pins 29, which are also used to fasten the holder member 11 to the lower sheet 10.

Next the urinal 12 is inserted into the pocket 21 with the mouth of the urinal within the elastic-constricted mouth of the holder pocket. The free end 31 of the anchor strap 30 is then passed around the handle 33 of the urinal 12 in the pocket 21 to prevent sidewise tipping in the event the patient turns his body. The free end 31 is detachably fastened to a part of the holder 11 on the side opposite the attached end of the strap 30. The safety pin 29 which holds a leg strap 26 and which connects the holder members 10 and 11 together, may also be used to fasten the strap 30 to the holder. The arrangement is such that the urinal 12 is retained in its intended position at all times, so that the patient may void urine directly into the mouth of the urinal 12.

The under sheet 10 serves the dual purpose of protecting the patients bedding, and of providing a comfortable waistband for the main holder member 11. When the patient turns his body, the members 10 and 11 move with him without cutting or chafing of the patients body, and the urinal 12 is held in its predetermined, intended position relatively to the body.

In describing the invention, reference has been made to a particular example embodying the same, but I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawing, and that various changes may be made in the construction and general arrangement of parts without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. A holder for an open mouth urinal adapted to be worn by a reclining patient, comprising an apron member for overlying the thighs of the patient, an underlying member, means detachably connecting the overlying and underlying members together, said apron member consisting of two identical layers of fabric connected together, two spaced apart rows of stitches extending from the upper to the lower edges of said fabric layers defining the side margins of a central pocket in the apron for receiving a urinal, the upper edges of said fabric layers forming the open mouth of the pocket, elastic means adjacent the mouth of the pocket yieldingly constricting said mouth, a leg strap attached to each side of the apron member near its lower end, and an anchoring strap attached to the apron at one side of the urinal pocket and having a free end for engaging a handle on the urinal.

2. A holder for an open mouth urinal adapted to be worn by a reclining patient, comprising a fiat underlying sheet member, an apron member for overlying the thighs and groin of the patient, means detachably connecting said members together at opposite sides of the apron member, said apron member having a pocket between its side edges, closed at its bottom and sides and having an open mouth for reception of a urinal, means adjacent the mouth edge yieldingly constricting the mouth, a leg strap attached to each side of the apron member, an anchoring strap attached at one end to the apron at one side of the urinal pocket and having a free end for engaging a handle on the urinal, and means detachably connecting the free end of a leg strap, the apron member and the underlying sheet member together at each side of the apron member.

3. A holder for an open mouth urinal adapted to be worn by a reclining patient, comprising an apron memher for overlying the thighs of the patient, consisting of two superposed layers of fabric, two laterally spaced apart lines of stitching extending from the upper to the lower edges and defining opposite side sections and an intermediate pocket portion in the apron, the edges of the side sections of the superposed layers being stitched together, the upper edges of the pocket portion defining the open mouth of a pocket for insertion of a urinal, means adjacent the mouth edges yieldingly constricting the edges, and a leg strap secured to each of said side sections.

4. The holder defined by claim 3 in Which the leg straps are secured at one end to the side sections near the lower edges of said sections, and are free at their opposite ends.

5. The holder defined by claim 3 which includes a sheet adapted to underlie a patient from about the waistline to the knees, and means detachably connecting the side sections of the apron member to said sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,439,683 Broderick Apr. 13, 1948 

